Case Number 19281: Small Claims Court

MY BOYS: THE COMPLETE SECOND AND THIRD SEASONS

The Charge

Life is a funny thing, especially with your friends.

The Case

P.J. Franklin (Jordana Sprio, Must Love Dogs) is a tough-talkin'
Chicago sportswriter who loves the Cubs and whose circle of friends is mostly
guys. As this season begins, P.J. reveals her attraction to pal Bobby (Kyle
Howard, The Drew Carey Show), in the hopes that they can become more than
friends. Bobby, clueless to her feelings, gets engaged to a hot Swedish girl.
P.J. rebounds by secretly kindling a romance with Bobby's hunky brother.
Meanwhile, P.J.'s married, well-to-do brother Andy (Jim Gaffigan, Pale
Force) and his wife have another child, but Andy insists that it won't
interrupt his "me time." Buddies Brendan (Reid Scott), Kenny (Michael
Bunin), and Mike (Jamie Kaler) continue their rambunctious drunken
"man-child" antics. Rounding out P.J.'s social circle is female friend
and relationship expert Stephanie (Kellee Stewart).

This review is going to be shorter than usual, because there's not a lot to
say about My Boys. If you've ever seen a sitcom before, then you pretty
much know what to expect from this one. In any given episode, the characters
gather at their favorite bar or at P.J.'s for poker night, where we get that
week's plot and subplots. These are then played out for the expected wisecracks
and/or slapstick. At the end of the episode they're all back together again, to
remind everyone that no matter what happens, they can count on their
friends.

The ongoing arc of both seasons is the relationship between P.J. and Bobby.
In the second season, there are a lot of romantic ups and downs in the build-up
to Bobby's wedding, which ends up not going as planned. Then, in the third
season, P.J. and Bobby grow closer in the aftermath of the disastrous nuptials.
Fortunately, this romance and/or heartbreak is played out in a low-key way,
which works in the show's favor. The show has an overall light and breezy tone,
so the big life-changing moments are similarly depicted as light and breezy.

Jordana Spiro is a likable girl hero, and it's believable that she's this
character, who keeps a positive attitude even when it seems like life is about
to come crashing down all around her. She and Kyle Howard have some nice
chemistry, making their ongoing romance a highlight. Gaffigan is given something
a little different from the rest of the cast. Being a family man and being
significantly wealthier than the rest of the characters makes him the man on the
outside, the one who observes and comments on why the others do what they do.
This, then, plays nicely into Gaffigan's sarcastic, world-weary style of comedy.
The other three guys are, well, the other three guys. There's nothing
necessarily wrong with their performances, except that all three of them are
basically the same person. You could swap their lines and subplots around in any
given episode, and I doubt viewers would have noticed.

For a show that's mostly single guys hanging out in a bar, the comedy is
less crude than you'd expect. The zingers and one-liners are rapid-fire, but
this is nonetheless a kinder, gentler kind of comedy. That's not a bad thing, of
course, but viewers should know that, despite the subject matter, the show is
more "chick flick" than it is "frat boy."

Both seasons are a mere nine episodes each, making this two-disc set
eighteen episodes total. The widescreen picture is fine, with bright colors and
no apparent defects. Similarly, the audio does its job, with clean and clear
dialogue and making the most of the occasional bluesy tune here and there. If
you're looking for any bonus features, you're better off hoping to see the Cubs
win the worl...oh, forget it.

The Verdict

My Boys doesn't hit a home run or a grand slam, but it does manage to
slide into home base.